Moravian Mystery and English Fantasy

Moravian Mystery and English Fantasy

Fantasticus: Rie Kimura (baroque violin) Robert Smith (viola da gamba) Guillermo Brachetta (harpsichord)

Heinrich Biber – The Annunciation for violin and basso continuo (from the Mystery Sonatas)
John Jenkins – ‘Fantasia Suite’ in A minor for treble, bass and basso continuo
Georg Muffat – Ciaccona in G major for keyboard solo
Gottfried Finger – Sonata No.3 in A major for viola da gamba and bass
John Jenkins – ‘Fantasia’ in D minor for treble, bass viol and bass
Johann Heinrich Schmelzer – Sonata Quarta for violin and basso continuo
Henry Purcell – Trio Sonata for violin, bass viol and bass in G minor, Z.780
Heinrich Biber – Sonata 3 for violin and basso continuo in F major (1681)

The mysterious instrumental music from middle-europe of the 17th century is remarkable for its abstraction, free-form and quasi-improvisatory virtuoso flourishes. Nothing epitomises the ‘stylus fantasticus’ more than the Rosary (or mystery) Sonatas by Heinrich Biber. And on the other side of the continent we find striking similarities in the English Fantasia-Suites that developed independently in England, full of divisions and equally full of mystery.

Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall, School of Music, University of Leeds

Tickets: £8 – advance
£10 – on the door
Free – students and under 16s